JK’s special status being disrespected : Omar Abdullah

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah today said the special status of the state is being “disrespected” and the extension of central acts and programmes to the state without ratification by the Legislative Assembly is an “alarming trend”.

“J-K’s special status is being disrespected and the extension of central acts and programmes to the state without ratification and approval by the state’s Legislative Assembly is an alarming trend,” Mr Abdullah said addressing his party workers during a tour of his Beerwah constituency in central Kashmir.

He said the PDP-BJP government “impetuously” extended National Food Security Act (NFSA) to Jammu and Kashmir knowing that the Central Act would “rob” hundreds and thousands of people of their right to basic quantities of ration.

“Despite public outrage and resentment, the PDP-BJP government continues to exhibit insensitivity and ruthlessness towards our people.

“Rather than passing an Act in the state legislature that could have been suitably altered to safeguard the rights of our people, the PDP-BJP alliance extended NFSA to J-K as a step towards the larger goal of undermining the state’s remaining autonomy and rendering its own institutions and constitution irrelevant,” he said.

Mr Abdullah, the working president of opposition National Conference (NC), also questioned the PDP-BJP government and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s “intentions and seriousness” on the extension of NEET to Jammu and Kashmir.

“This is gross injustice with our students and has dealt another blow to the state’s autonomous character. Education falls in the State List and not the Concurrent List and our special status further highlights that distinction viz-a-viz Jammu and Kashmir.

“The fact that the state’s appeal wasn’t considered and upheld in the Supreme Court is to be blamed on the state government and its casual approach in defending the state’s political status and the rights of our students,” he said.

“The Mehbooba Mufti government is acting as a facilitator for BJP s long-cherished dream of diluting and undermining Article 370 and the state’s special status,” he alleged.